Unless otherwise indicated herein, the description in this section is not prior art to the claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
As an image forming apparatus (for example, a printer, a multifunction printer, or a multi-functional peripheral) becomes complex and sophisticated, contents of its maintenance have been also become complex. In association with this, it has been spreading that an operation by vendors and service providers of image forming apparatuses maintain a multiple image forming apparatuses from remote places. Remote management allows the vendors or similar operators to consistently make a diagnosis, troubleshoot, update firmware, setting, and even supply toners and other spare parts, as part of maintenance related to an image forming apparatus.
In such conditions, it is expected that an improvement in work efficiency by maintenance administrators performing the remote management.